Arrangement for automated delivery of voice-mail messages for software processes

ABSTRACT

A program-implemented arrangement (26) executing on a computer (22) facilitates use of a voice messaging system (VMS 12) by other application programs (25) by interacting with the application program interface (API) of the VMS on behalf of the application programs. In response to an application program writing a message identifier and a destination identifier to a pipe (37), a daemon process (34) of the arrangement retrieves the identified message from its database (33) and causes the VMS to deliver it to the identified destination. Messages to populate the database are generated via the conventional VMS message-creation facility and are brought into the database by a message-retrieval process (32) of the arrangement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to telecommunications in general, and to thecommunications interface between humans and software in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The capability of generating and delivering to users voice messagesunder program control is well known in the art. Examples thereof arevoice-mail systems and interactive voice recognition (e.g., programmedconversation) systems. These systems are designed from the start to havethe capability of delivering voice messages under program control topersons.

There also exist varieties of software applications (such as source codecontrol systems, database managers, maintenance request trackingsystems, CAD/CAM systems, CASE tools, etc.) which may, upon detectingsome event or condition (such as a change to a schematic diagram orsoftware component, deletion of a database record, creation of amaintenance request, etc.) wish to deliver a voice-mail message or someother type of message to one or more persons as a way of notifying thepersons of the detected event or condition. Conventional applicationprogram interfaces (APIs) to messaging systems typically providefunctional interfaces that enable software processes to interact withthe messaging systems and cause delivery of the desired messages.However, in order to enable the software processes to use the APIs,normally new and non-trivial software must be written for eachapplication which desires to use this service. Furthermore, the APIsnormally provide little or no support for the administration andmaintenance (e.g., creation, modification, and deletion) of thenotification messages. Hence, adaptation of an application to enable itto send mail-system messages to humans is typically a substantial task,and one that must be repeated anew for each application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to solving these and other problems anddisadvantages of the prior art. Generally according to the invention,there is provided an arrangement that facilitates use of a messagingsystem--such as a voice-mail system--by application programs, byinteracting with the messaging system on behalf of the applicationprograms, so that the application programs can take advantage of theservices provided by the messaging system while remaining ignorant ofthe requirements and interfaces of the messaging system. Specificallyaccording to one aspect of the invention, a telecommunications apparatuscomprises a computer for executing an application program, whichcomputer is connectable to a separate audio messaging apparatus thatdelivers audio messages to destinations, and further comprises anarrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer. Inresponse to signaling received from the application program andindicative of a first one of a plurality of possible audio messages tobe sent to a first one of a plurality of possible destinations, thearrangement interacts with the audio-messaging apparatus on behalf ofthe application program to cause the audio-messaging apparatus todeliver the first audio message to the first destination. In acorresponding telecommunications method, an application programexecuting on a computer signals to a program-implemented arrangement anindication of a first one of a plurality of possible audio messages tobe sent to a first one of a plurality of possible destinations. Inresponse to receipt of the signaling, the program-implementedarrangement executes on the computer and interacts on behalf of theapplication program with an audio-messaging apparatus separate from butconnected to the computer. Through the interaction, the executingarrangement causes the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the firstaudio message to the first destination.

According to another aspect of the invention, the telecommunicationsapparatus comprises a computer with an operating system for executing anapplication program, which computer is connectable to a separatemessaging apparatus that delivers messages to persons, and furthercomprises an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on thecomputer. The program interacts with the operating system. In responseto the application program interacting with the operating system in away that indicates to the program-implemented arrangement a first one ofa plurality of possible messages to be sent to a first one of aplurality of persons, the arrangement interacts with the messagingapparatus on behalf of the application program to cause the messagingapparatus to deliver the first message to the first person. In acorresponding telecommunications method, an applications programexecuting on a computer and interacting with the computer's operatingsystem, interacts with the operating system in a way that indicates to aprogram-implemented arrangement a first one of a plurality of possiblemessages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of possible people. Inresponse to the interaction, the program-implemented arrangementexecutes on the computer and interacts on behalf of the applicationprogram with a messaging apparatus separate from but connected to thecomputer. Through its interaction with the messaging apparatus, theexecuting arrangement causes the messaging apparatus to deliver thefirst message to the first person.

Preferably, the program-implemented arrangement comprises a database ofthe plurality of possible messages, and in response to the signalingfrom the application program, the first audio message is retrieved fromthe database and delivered to the audio-messaging apparatus, and theaudio-messaging apparatus is caused to deliver that first message to thefirst destination. The audio messages that populate the database aregenerated in a mailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus via amessage-creation facility of the audio-messaging apparatus, and theprogram-implemented arrangement causes the audio-messaging apparatus toretrieve the generated audio messages from the mailbox and deliver themto the program-implemented arrangement, whereupon they are stored in thedatabase. A special mechanism for administering (generating) themessages is therefore not needed; rather, the conventional facilities ofthe audio-messaging apparatus can be used for this function.

These and other advantages and features of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention considered together with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary telecommunications system thatincludes an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a message creation procedure of the systemof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a message retrieval procedure of the systemof FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a message sending procedure of the system ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative telecommunications system comprising twosubsystems: a subsystem 10, which may be a multi-media communicationssubsystem and includes a voice communications capability, and asubsystem 11, which may also be a multi-media communications system andincludes a data communications capability.

Subsystem 10 includes a conventional voice-messaging system 12, such asan AT&T AUDIX® or Intuity® VMS, which is interconnected with a pluralityof voice terminals 14-15, such as conventional telephone sets, by avoice network 13, such as a conventional private branch exchange (PBX)or the public telephone network, for purposes of delivering voicemessages to persons at voice terminals 14-15. Subsystem 11 includes aconventional local area network (LAN) 20 or some other datacommunications medium, a conventional LAN interface 21 in VMS 12 thatconnects VMS 12 to LAN 20 for data communications, and one or morecomputers 22--23 (hereafter jointly and severally referred to in thesingular) that execute an operating system and that are also connectedto LAN 20. The operating system is conventional, such as the UNIX®operating system. Together, a computer and operating system provide aplatform for the execution of application programs, as is conventional.

LAN interface 21 typically includes a conventional application programinterface (API) that is either an open or a proprietary interface. As iswell known in the art, an API is a set of software calls and dataformats that programs use to initiate contact with, and obtain servicesfrom, other programs, shared system resources, or network servers. TheAPI of LAN interface 21 opens VMS 12 for use by external programs byconfiguring VMS 12 as a server in a network programming environment,based on standard LAN technology. Hence, external application programs25 can be written which have access to VMS mailboxes 30-31 via LAN 20,and voice messaging can be integrated with application programs 25.Application programs 25 execute on one or more computers 22-23 under thecontrol of the operating system, in a conventional manner. Applicationprograms 25 interact with the operating system in a conventional mannerto obtain therefrom computer-platform services, as is conventional.

According to the invention, there is provided an arrangement 26 whichfacilitates the use by application programs 25 of VMS 12. It interactswith VMS 12 through the API on behalf of application programs 25, sothat application programs 25 can take advantage of the messagingcapabilities of VMS 12 while remaining ignorant of its requirements andinterfaces. Arrangement 26 is implemented in software that is stored ina memory and executed on a CPU of computer 22. It is interfaced to LAN20, and therethrough to interface 21 of VMS 12 and to applicationprograms 25 executing on other computers 23, via a LAN interface 27 ofconventional design. Arrangement 26 comprises a message library 33, suchas a conventional database that may be as simple as a set of files in adirectory, of pre-recorded audio or multi-media messages 35-36, aMSGRTRV process 32 that facilitates the population of library 33 withmessages 35-36, a MSGSEND daemon process 34 which causes delivery ofselected messages 35-36 to selected mailboxes 30-31 of VMS 12 on behalfof application programs 25, and a conventional UNIX® system pipe 37 bymeans of which application programs 25 trigger daemon process 34 toeffect message delivery on their behalf. A daemon is a server processthat runs in the background, waiting for a service request to be made byan application, and thereafter effects the service. As a part ofeffecting the service, the daemon may function as a client of anotherserver. A pipe is a conventional operating system mechanism that allowsa stream of data to be passed between reader and writer processes. Anextensive discussion of pipes may be found, for example, in M. J. Bach,The Design of the UNIX® Operating System, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1986.

MSGRTRV process 32 enables messages 35-36 that populate message library33 to be created by means of the conventional VMS 12 message-creationmechanism. This mechanism is functionally illustrated in FIG. 2. Tocreate a message 35-36, an administrator 19 places a call via a voiceterminal 15 to a telephone number of voice network 13 that has itscall-coverage feature activated and is covered by a mailbox 31 of VMS12, at step 202. VMS 12 receives the call, at step 250, and prompts thecaller to leave a message, in the conventional manner, at step 252.Administrator 19 receives the prompt, at step 204, and speaks themessage into voice terminal 15, at step 206. VMS 12 receives the spokenmessage and records it in digital form into mailbox 31, at step 254,again in the conventional manner. Having recorded the message,administrator 19 hangs up the call at voice terminal 15, at step 208.VMS 12 detects the hanging up and terminates the call, at step 256. Ifall desired messages have not been recorded, as determined at step 210,to create a next message 35-36, administrator 19 repeats the process byreturning to step 202. After recording all messages 35-36 in mailbox 31,administrator 19 invokes execution of MSGRTRV process 32 on computer 22,at step 212.

MSGRTRV process 32 is illustrated in FIG. 3. Upon being invoked, at step300, it requests a TCP/IP connection to VMS 12 from LAN interface 27, atstep 302. LAN interfaces 27 and 21 cooperate to set up the connection,at step 350, and return a confirmation when it has been set up, at step352. When it receives the confirmation from LAN interface 21 through LANinterface 27, at step 304, process 32 logs into VMS 12 using thetelephone number to which mailbox 31 corresponds and a password that hasbeen assigned to mailbox 31, as a login and a password, respectively, atstep 306. VMS 12 validates the login information, at step 354, sets upan individual communications session with VMS 12 in the API of LANinterface 21, at step 356, and returns to process 32 an access key thatuniquely identifies the session and distinguishes it from otherco-temporaneous sessions, at step 358. Process 32 receives the sessionaccess key, at step 308, and uses it in subsequent communications withVMS 12 to associate the communications with this session.

Process 32 then initializes a message counter (i) to a first message, atstep 309, and uses it to request the header of the next (here, thefirst) message in mailbox 31 from VMS 12, at step 310. VMS 12 checkswhether there is a next message in mailbox 31, at step 360. If there isanother message in mailbox 31, VMS 12 retrieves the header of the nextmessage and sends it to process 32, at step 362. If there are no moremessages in mailbox 31, VMS 12 sends back a no-more-messages errorindication, at step 364. Process 32 receives the message header or errorindication from VMS 12, at step 312. If it received a header of a nextmessage, as determined at step 314, process 32 requests the message fromVMS 12, at step 316. VMS 12 responds by retrieving the audio file of themessage body and sending it to process 32, at step 316. Upon receivingthe message file, at step 318, process 32 stores it in message library33 under the present value of the message counter (i), at step 320.Process 32 then increments the value of the message counter (i), at step322, and returns to step 310 to retrieve the next message, if any.Hence, the first message 35 from mailbox 31 gets stored as the firstmessage 35 of message library 33, the second message from mailbox 31gets stored as the second message of message library 33, etc.

After the last message 36 of mailbox 31 has been stored in messagelibrary 33, the request by process 32 for the next message headerresults in VMS 12 returning the no-more-messages error indication toprocess 32, at step 364. When this is determined by process 32, at step314, it signifies that all messages 35-36 have been retrieved frommailbox 31 and stored in message library 33. Process 32 therefore logsout of VMS 12, at step 330. VMS 12 responds by closing the correspondingsession and invalidating its access key, at step 368, and sending aconfirmation to process 32, at step 370. Upon receiving theconfirmation, at step 332, process 32 causes LAN interface 27 toterminate the TCP/IP connection across LAN 20 to VMS 12, at step 334.LAN interfaces 37 and 21 cooperate to terminate the connection asrequested, at step 372. The job of process 32 is thus completed, and itexits execution, at step 336.

Now that message library 33 has been populated with messages 35-36,arrangement 26 is ready for use by application programs 25. This use isillustrated in FIG. 4.

When an application program 25 wishes to send a voice message to aparticular destination, it merely writes a destination identifier (ID)and a message ID to pipe 37 through the operating system, in aconventional manner, at step 400. Such functionality is well within theconventional capability of conventional operating systems and programs.Hence, the application program 25 need have no knowledge of voicecommunication mechanisms and procedures in order to be able to send avoice message; all it has to be able to do is to to perform a writeoperation in its operating system environment.

MSGSEND daemon 34 is asleep on pipe 37, in a conventional manner. Thewriting of pipe 37 results in daemon 34 being awakened, at step 402.Daemon 34 receives the destination and message ID as written byapplication program 25 and, if necessary, it translates the IDs into adestination phone number and a message number, at step 404. The need forthe translation is eliminated if the received IDs are the phone andmessage numbers themselves. Daemon 34 then requests a TCP/IP connectionto VMS 12 from LAN interface 27, at step 406. LAN interfaces 27 and 21cooperate to set up the connection, at step 450, and return aconfirmation when it has been set up, at step 452. When it receives theconfirmation of the connection from LAN interface 21 via LAN interface27, at step 408, daemon 34 logs into mailbox 31 of VMS 12, at step 410,in the same manner as MSGRTRV process 32 did at step 306 of FIG. 3. VMS12 again validates the login information, at step 454, sets up anindividual communications session with VMS 12 in the API of LANinterface 21, at step 456, and returns to daemon 34 an access key thatuniquely identifies the session and distinguishes it from otherco-temporaneous sessions, at step 458. Daemon 34 receives the sessionaccess key from VMS 12, at step 412, for use in further communicationswith VMS 12. Daemon 34 then retrieves from message library 33 the audiofile of the message that application program 25 wishes to have sent, atstep 414, and sends the retrieved message's audio file along with amessage creation request to VMS 12, at step 416. VMS 12 responds bycreating a new message in a temporary message buffer 38 in mailbox 31 bystoring the received message audio file in the temporary message buffer38, at step 460. Daemon 34 also requests VMS 12 to deliver this messageto the destination phone number identified by application program 25, atstep 418. VMS 12 sets up delivery of the message to mailbox 30 thatcorresponds to that phone number, at step 462, and sends a confirmationto daemon 34, at step 464. Upon receiving the confirmation, at step 420,daemon 34 logs out of VMS 12, at step 422. VMS 12 responds by closingthe corresponding session and invalidating its access key, at step 466,and sending a confirmation to daemon 34, at step 468. Upon receiving theconfirmation, at step 424, daemon 34 requests LAN interface 27 toterminate the connection across LAN 20 to VMS 12, at step 426. LANinterfaces 27 and 21 cooperate to terminate the connection as requested,at step 470. Its task is now completed, and daemon 34 returns to sleepon pipe 37, at step 428.

Of course, various changes and modifications to the illustrativeembodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art.For example, instead of sharing use of the MSGSEND daemon and/or messagelibrary, each application program may have its own corresponding daemonand/or its own corresponding message library. Alternatively, theapplication programs may share use of a plurality of message libraries,and specify in each message-send request the one library from which themessage is to be obtained. The message library or libraries need not beco-resident with the MSGSEND daemon, but rather may reside on anothercomputer. Conversely, all of the data communication subsystem's programentities, including all application programs, may be co-resident withthe MSGSEND daemon and message library on a single computer. Also, morethan one VMS may be used, with the particular VMS being specified as aparameter of the original request. Furthermore, the messaging systemneed not be a voice messaging system, but instead it may be a systemthat delivers messages in another medium or even in multiple media.Messages may also be sent to recipients who are not messaging systemsubscribers, for example, through the call-delivery mechanism of theVMS. Furthermore, a MSGRECEIVE daemon process may be added, to enableapplication programs to receive messages in a manner analogous to howthey send messages, and even to specify the desired source (originator)of the received message. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention andwithout diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intendedthat such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims.

I claim:
 1. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:a messagingapparatus for delivering messages to persons; a computer separate frombut connected to the messaging apparatus and executing an operatingsystem; a plurality of application programs executing on the computerand interacting with the operating system; and a program-implementedarrangement executing on the computer independently of the applicationprograms, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsiveto an interaction, of any application program of the applicationprograms with the operating system, that indicates, to theprogram-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality ofmessages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, forretrieving the first message from the database and delivering the firstmessage to the messaging apparatus and causing the messaging apparatusto deliver the first message to the first person, without involvement ofthe application programs.
 2. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1wherein:the application program interacts with the operating system towrite predetermined information to a predetermined place in thecomputer, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.3. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1 wherein:the applicationprogram interacts with the operating system to write a predeterminedoperating system pipe, as a way of indicating to the program-implementedarrangement.
 4. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:a computerwith an operating system, for executing a plurality of applicationprograms that interact with the operating system during execution, thecomputer being connectable to a separate messaging apparatus fordelivering messages to persons; and an arrangement implemented in aprogram for execution on the computer independently of the applicationprograms, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsiveto an interaction, of any application program of the applicationprograms with the operating system, that indicates, to theprogram-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality ofmessages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, forretrieving the first message from the database and delivering the firstmessage to a connected said messaging apparatus and causing themessaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person,without involvement of the application programs.
 5. Thetelecommunications apparatus of claim 4 wherein:the application programinteracts with the operating system to write predetermined informationto a predetermined place in the computer, as a way of indicating to theprogram-implemented arrangement.
 6. The telecommunications apparatus ofclaim 4 wherein:the application program interacts with the operatingsystem to write a predetermined operating system pipe, as a way ofindicating to the program-implemented arrangement.
 7. Atelecommunications method comprising the steps of:interacting, by anyapplication program of a plurality of application programs executing ona computer, with an operating system of the computer, to indicate to aprogram-implemented arrangement a first one of a plurality of messagesto be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons; in response to theinteracting, the program-implemented arrangement executing on thecomputer independently of the application programs and retrieving thefirst message from a database of the plurality of messages, withoutinvolvement of the application programs; in response to the retrieving,delivering the first message to a messaging apparatus separate from butconnected to the computer, without involvement of the applicationprograms; causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first messageto the first person, without involvement of the application programs;and in response to the causing, the messaging apparatus delivering thefirst message to the first person.
 8. The telecommunications method ofclaim 7 wherein:the step of interacting with an operating systemcomprises the step of the application program interacting with theoperating system to write predetermined information to a predeterminedplace in the computer, as a way of indicating to the program-implementedarrangement.
 9. The telecommunications method of claim 7 wherein:thestep of interacting with an operating system comprises the step of theapplication program interacting with the operating system to write apredetermined operating system pipe, as a way of indicating to theprogram-implemented arrangement.
 10. A telecommunications apparatuscomprising:an audio-messaging apparatus for delivering messages todestinations; a computer separate from but connected to theaudio-messaging apparatus; a plurality of application programs executingon the computer; and a program-implemented arrangement executing on thecomputer independently of the application programs, comprising adatabase of a plurality of audio messages and responsive to signalingreceived from any application program of the application programs andindicative of a first one of the plurality of audio messages to be sentto a first one of a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the firstaudio message from the database and delivering the first audio messageto the audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application programand causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audiomessage to the first destination, without involvement of the applicationprograms.
 11. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 10 wherein:theapplication program signals to the program-implemented arrangement bywriting predetermined information to a predetermined place in thecomputer.
 12. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 10 wherein:theapplication program signals to the program-implemented arrangement bywriting a predetermined operating system pipe.
 13. A telecommunicationsapparatus comprising:a computer for executing a plurality of applicationprograms, the computer being connectable to a separate audio-messagingapparatus for delivering audio messages to destinations; and anarrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computerindependently of the application programs, including a database of aplurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received fromany application program of the application programs and indicative of afirst one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first oneof a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio messagefrom the database and delivering the first audio message to a connectedsaid audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program andcausing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio messageto the first destination, without involvement of the applicationprograms.
 14. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 13 wherein:theapplication program signals to the program-implemented arrangement bywriting predetermined information to a predetermined place in thecomputer.
 15. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 13 wherein:theapplication program signals to the program-implemented arrangement bywriting a predetermined operating system pipe.
 16. A telecommunicationsmethod comprising the steps of:signaling, from any application programof a plurality of application programs executing on a computer to aprogram-implemented arrangement, an indication of a first one of aplurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality ofdestinations; in response to receipt of the signaling, theprogram-implemented arrangement executing on the computer independentlyof the application programs and retrieving the first audio message froma database of the plurality of audio messages that is included in theprogram-implemented arrangement, without involvement of the applicationprograms; in response to the retrieving, delivering the first audiomessage on behalf of the application program to an audio-messagingapparatus separate from but connected to the computer, withoutinvolvement of the application programs; causing the audio-messagingapparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination,without involvement of the application programs; and in response to thecausing, the audio-messaging apparatus delivering the first audiomessage to the first destination.
 17. The telecommunications method ofclaim 16 wherein:the step of signaling comprises the step of theapplication program writing predetermined information to a predeterminedplace in the computer to signal the program-implemented arrangement. 18.The telecommunications method of claim 16 wherein:the step of signalingcomprises the step of the application program writing a predeterminedoperating system pipe to signal the program-implemented arrangement. 19.A telecommunications apparatus comprising:a messaging apparatus fordelivering messages to persons; a computer separate from but connectedto the messaging apparatus and executing an operating system; anapplication program executing on the computer and interacting with theoperating system; a program-implemented arrangement executing on thecomputer, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsiveto an interaction, of the application program with the operating system,that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one ofthe plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality ofpersons, for retrieving the first message from the database, deliveringthe first message to the messaging apparatus, and causing the messagingapparatus to deliver the first message to the first person; and meansfor causing the messaging apparatus to retrieve a message from a mailboxof the messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved message to themeans, and storing the delivered retrieved message in the database asone of the messages, so that the plurality of messages in the databasemay be generated via a message-creation facility of the messagingapparatus.
 20. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:a computer withan operating system, for executing an application program that interactswith the operating system during execution, the computer beingconnectable to a separate messaging apparatus for delivering messages topersons; an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on thecomputer, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsiveto an interaction, of the application program with the operating system,that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one ofthe plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality ofpersons, for retrieving the first message from the database, deliveringthe first message to a connected said messaging apparatus, and causingthe messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the firstperson; and means for causing the messaging apparatus to retrieve amessage from a mailbox of the messaging apparatus and deliver theretrieved message to the means, and storing the delivered retrievedmessage in the database as one of the messages, so that the plurality ofmessages may be generated via a message-creation facility of themessaging apparatus.
 21. A telecommunications method comprising thesteps of:interacting, by an application program executing on a computer,with an operating system of the computer, to indicate to aprogram-implemented arrangement a first one of a plurality of messagesto be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons; in response to theinteracting, the program-implemented arrangement executing on thecomputer and retrieving the first message from a database of theplurality of messages; in response to the retrieving, delivering thefirst message to a messaging apparatus separate from but connected tothe computer; causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the firstmessage to the first person; in response to the causing, the messagingapparatus delivering the first message to the first person; generating amessage in a mailbox of the messaging apparatus via a message-creationfacility of the messaging apparatus; the program-implemented arrangementcausing the messaging apparatus to retrieve the generated message fromthe mailbox and deliver the retrieved message to the program-implementedarrangement; and storing the delivered retrieved message in the databaseas one of the messages.
 22. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:anaudio-messaging apparatus for delivering messages to destinations; acomputer separate from but connected to the audio-messaging apparatus;an application program executing on the computer; a program-implementedarrangement executing on the computer, comprising a database of aplurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received fromthe application program and indicative of a first one of the pluralityof audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality ofdestinations, for retrieving the first audio message from the database,delivering the first audio message to the audio-messaging apparatus onbehalf of the application program, and causing the audio-messagingapparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination;and means for causing the audio-messaging apparatus to retrieve an audiomessage from a mailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus and deliver theretrieved audio message to the means, and storing the deliveredretrieved audio message in the database as one of the messages, so thatthe plurality of audio messages in the database may be generated via amessage-creation facility of the audio-messaging apparatus.
 23. Atelecommunications apparatus comprising:a computer for executing anapplication program, the computer being connectable to a separateaudio-messaging apparatus for delivering audio messages to destinations;an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer,including a database of a plurality of audio messages and responsive tosignaling received from the application program and indicative of afirst one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first oneof a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio messagefrom the database, delivering the first audio message to a connectedsaid audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program, andcausing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio messageto the first destination; and means for causing the audio-messagingapparatus to retrieve an audio message from a mailbox of theaudio-messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved audio message to themeans, and storing the delivered retrieved audio message in the databaseas one of the messages, so that the plurality of audio messages may begenerated via a message-creation facility of the audio-messagingapparatus.
 24. A telecommunications method comprising the stepsof:signaling, from an application program executing on a computer to aprogram-implemented arrangement, an indication of a first one of aplurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality ofdestinations; in response to receipt of the signaling, theprogram-implemented arrangement executing on the computer and retrievingthe first audio message from a database of the plurality of audiomessages that is included in the program-implemented arrangement; inresponse to the retrieving, delivering the first audio message on behalfof the application program to an audio-messaging apparatus separate frombut connected to the computer; causing the audio-messaging apparatus todeliver the first audio message to the first destination; in response tothe causing, the audio-messaging apparatus delivering the first audiomessage to the first destination; generating an audio message in amailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus via a message-creation facilityof the audio-messaging apparatus; the program-implemented arrangementcausing the audio-messaging apparatus to retrieve the generated audiomessage from the mailbox and deliver the retrieved audio message to theprogram-implemented arrangement; and storing the delivered retrievedaudio message in the database as one of the messages.